Catholic Marriage - History of Marriage in The Catholic Church

History of Marriage in The Catholic Church

The history of marriage in the Catholic Church has been a continuation of the Judaic concept of marriage. It recognized the New Testament scriptures, all dating from before the second century, as recording the words of Jesus and of Saint Paul regarding the sacred and divine state of marriage. Jesus forbade divorce and stated that in the state of marriage "the two become one flesh". Saint Paul wrote one of the most often quoted descriptions of the proper behavior of spouses in the ideal sacramental marriage in the New Testament book of Ephesians, Chapter 5, referencing the words of Jesus. Many theologians and early Church fathers have observed that the first recorded miracle of Jesus is at a wedding feast, thus, many believe, signifying his approval of the institution of marriage as well as his recognition of the importance of the public celebration of a wedding.

At the time of Christ marriage was considered a necessary passage into adulthood, However, the Church introduced the notion into the ancient world that the celibate unmarried state was preferable and more holy. As a result of directly challenging the social norms regarding marriage and the buying and selling of women into marriage, and particularly in defending the right of women to choose to remain unmarried virgins for the sake of Christ, there were many virgin martyrs in the first few centuries of the Catholic Church. The stories associated with these virgin martyrs often make it clear that they were martyred for their refusal to marry, not necessarily simply their belief in Jesus Christ.

Although the Church supported marriage, a preference for the celibate state came from the example of Jesus, the concern about the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God as supported by Jesus and early followers such as Saint Paul, and the exhortation by Jesus to avoid 'earthly ties'. Some of Paul's words (1Cor. 7:1-7) are seen suggesting that marriage be used only as a last resort by those Christians that found it too difficult to remain chaste, not having the gift of celibacy. As a consequence, to a significant degree first-century Christians placed less value on the family and saw celibacy (not marrying) and freedom from family ties as a preferable state.

Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo, believed that marriage was a sacrament, and wrote: "the first natural bond of human society is man and wife." However, there was also an apocalyptic dimension in his teaching, and he was clear that if everybody stopped marrying and having children that would be an admirable thing; it would mean that the Kingdom of God would return all the sooner and the world would come to an end. Other Church Fathers were more negative about the married state.

Jerome wrote: "It is not disparaging wedlock to prefer virginity. No one can make a comparison between two things if one is good and the other evil." (Letter 22). However, he affirms Genesis 1:28 and Hebrews 13:4 and distinguishes himself from the disparage of marriage by Marcion and Manichæus, and the error of Tatian who thought all intercourse to be impure, and explains, "while we honour marriage we prefer virginity which is the offspring of marriage."

His support for celibacy includes his reasoning from First Corinthians 7: "It is good, he says, for a man not to touch a woman. If it is good not to touch a woman, it is bad to touch one: for there is no opposite to goodness but badness. But if it be bad and the evil is pardoned, the reason for the concession is to prevent worse evil."

Jerome also surmises, "If we are to pray always, it follows that we must never be in the bondage of wedlock, for as often as I render my wife her due, I cannot pray. The difference, then, between marriage and virginity is as great as that between not sinning and doing well; nay rather, to speak less harshly, as great as between good and better..." "Now a priest must always offer sacrifices for the people: he must therefore always pray. And if he must always pray, he must always be released from the duties of marriage."

In referring to Genesis chapter 2, Jerome further argued, "that while Scripture on the first, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth days relates that, having finished the works of each, God saw that it was good, on the second day it omitted this altogether, leaving us to understand that two is not a good number because it destroys unity, and prefigures the marriage compact."

Similarly, Tertullian argued that second marriage, by one who was made freed from the first by death, "will have to be termed no other than a species of fornication," partly based on the reasoning that such involves desiring to marry a women out of sexual ardor.

Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage said that the first commandment given to men was to increase and multiply, but now that the earth was full there was no need to continue this process of multiplication. Augustine corrected this thinking and declared marriage good, "Therefore marriage and fornication are not two evils, whereof the second is worse: but marriage and continence are two goods, whereof the second is better."

While esteeming celibacy, the Church also recognized that only a select few would accept this teaching of a celibate state of life, which Jesus had predicted, and sought to elevate the understanding of the marital state to a more noble and holy sacramental enterprise. The Council of Florence, in the Decree for the Armenians, had already declared: "The seventh sacrament is matrimony, which is a figure of the union of Christ, and the Church, according to the words of the Apostle. Innocent IV, in the profession of faith prescribed for the Waldensians (18 December 1208), includes matrimony among the sacraments (Denzinger-Bannwart, "Enchiridion", n. 424)

The early Church recognized matrimony as one of the seven sacraments, but did not consider them equal in importance. The sacraments necessary for initiation into the Church or for priestly ordination (Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders) were developed very early in Church history and were given a higher value and attention than some of the other sacraments because they were necessary for membership and also because they put an indelible mark on the soul. The sacrament of Eucharist was ritualized with the Last Supper and was celebrated from the earliest Church history. The rites for the lesser sacraments of Penance, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction developed over a longer time. Matrimony, for most of Church history, was a sacrament celebrated (as in the Judaic tradition) without clergy and was done according to local customs. The first available written detailed account of a Christian wedding in the West dates from the 9th century and appears to be identical to the old nuptial service of Ancient Rome.

It was not until the sixteenth century, when the Protestant Reformation challenged the seven sacraments, including Matrimony, that the Church officially named the sacraments for the first time in Canon Law at the Council of Trent in 1547. Prior to that time the seven sacraments, including the sacrament of Matrimony were accepted as part of the apostolic oral and written tradition without controversy or debate. The Seventh Session of the Council of Trent stated that the seven sacraments were not new doctrine, but the Council saw a need to put information into the official Canon, "adhering to the doctrine of the holy Scriptures, to the apostolic traditions, and to the consent of other councils and of the Fathers."

The Church has consistently, since its beginnings, taken the position that a valid marriage is indissoluble. There is no divorce in the Catholic Church. But there are annulments, which can only be granted by Church bishops. This has led to many schisms, most notably that of Henry VIII of England, who was denied an annulment in 1527, and responded by forming the Church of England, declaring himself the head of the Church, and granting his own annulment. Pope Clement VII excommunicated him in 1533 and Paul III excommunicated him in 1538.